From Ashes of Sin
by SoulSoother59
Summary: Cora's world has caved in and she's lost everything dear to her. Left with questions and with the only person who can answer them keeping even more secrets from her, Cora finds herself between a rock and a hard place. On the run from the people who killed her parents, the young woman is trying to discover the secrets of her past whilst trying to secure a future for herself.
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N:**_ This idea came to me between reading some other fics on here and watching Person of Interest. I'm really excited about writing this and fingers crossed it turns out just as good as I have imagined it. XxX

_**Disclaimer:**_ I own all OC's

_Chapter One - Turn Away From Yesterday_

The house gave a shuddering crash that resonated through Cora's body as it collapsed to the ground, fiery flames leaping from the remains. Her mouth formed an 'O' shape as she stared at what was left of her childhood home, and where her parents bodies now lay, or what was left of them rather. Tears, both from how painful losing her family was and from the smoke she had encountered as she fled the premises, leaked from her eyes, streaming down her ash covered face. Voices sounded in the distance, leaving her with no more time to grieve as she pushed herself to her feet and began to run. She ran down the block and kept going, her brunette locks waving wildly in the wind, her lungs burning from smoke inhalation, not looking back for fear of finding out who was behind her. The twenty one year old's mind raced, a thousand thoughts streaming through her head. Who would want to kill her parents? Who would want to hurt her? What had happened in the two years since she had gone to college? Who were those people back there at the house?

Her body was growing weary and tired, her senses not quite one hundred percent. Cora knew she would need to find somewhere safe, somewhere to hide from whoever was after her but she just didn't know where to go. Who was safe to contact? She didn't want to inevitably get any of her friends, or their parents friends involved in something that was way over their heads and also way over her own head. She had no clue what was going on and until she could piece together even the tiniest of clues, she was safer on her own.

Cora stopped at a street corner for a few moments to catch her breath. She doubled over, her hands on her knees as she took in a few deep gulps of air. Her mouth was dry, her lips cracked and bleeding and her muscles groaned from the punishing run. Glancing around herself, the brunette was just about to turn down a side street when a car roared up to the sidewalk in front of her.

"Get in!" the driver growled at her "Get in now!"

Cora ducked her head slightly, her emerald orbs connecting with the jade ones from inside the car "It's you!" Cora cried. "What the hell is going on?!"

* * *

_3 Weeks Previously_

Cora's fingers strummed her guitar subconsciously as she sat 'indian style' on her bed, clad in just a pair of grey shorts and a white tank top. Her brunette locks were pulled back into an unkempt bun, tendrils escaping here and there to drop down and tickle the back of her neck. Reaching out with one hand, she grabbed a chocolate chip cookie from the plate on her bedside table and sat back, turning the page of her history book. She had her final tomorrow and this last minute cramming session was taking place close to midnight.

The trilling of the phone in her dorm room caught her off-guard and the cookie fell to the bed, crumbs scattering across her comforter. Cursing silently, Cora stood and gently placed her lightly coloured Gibson J200 down on the bed. She padded over towards the phone and picked it up, answering it with a whispered greeting.

"Sweetheart, it's mom," Kelly Baxter's voice sounded from the other side of the line. "I didn't wake you right?"

"No, mom, I wasn't sleeping, last minute cramming session," Cora confessed as she grabbed the curled cord of the phone and started to fiddle with it. "Why are you calling so late? Is something wrong? Nothing's happening to you or dad right?"

"No, darling," her mother laughed. "Stop being so worried. It's just that..." her mother hesitated, her sentence trailing off "Your father and I want you to come home, Cora."

"Come home?" Cora asked, confused. "But I still have my finals. And I've got 3 weeks until the end of term, mom. How can I come home?"

"It's best that we talk in person, darling," was all her mother said. Cora didn't understand, her parents had always encouraged her education, even though they were unsure of her travelling to LA from Chicago, but regardless, they had always drummed into her head how important it was for her to finish school. So why now, did they want her to forget her finals and come home?

"But mom," Cora protested, "I'd rather know now. My finals are important. You and Dad always said so yourself. And now you just want me to walk out."

"Honey," Cora could tell that her mother was getting frustrated by how she dragged the word out. It was something she used to do when Cora was little and behaving badly. "There will be more chances to take your finals. I promise. Now, your father has booked you a flight for tomorrow at 10am back to Chicago. Pack your things, you can pick up your ticket at check-in. We'll meet you at the other side," and with that, her mother was gone. There were no goodbyes, no sweet gestures of how much she loved Cora - just the resonating sound of the dialtone from the other end.

* * *

Cora covered her mouth as she yawned and nursed a cup of coffee. Her mind had still been racing well into the early hours of the morning and sleep had evaded her. She couldn't quite wrap her head around why her parents were bringing her home. There was some underlying tone to her mother's voice; a panic, a worry or something else along those lines that Cora couldn't quite put her finger on. But she just didn't understand at all. For a couple who's views on education were so high, they were doing an easy job of confusing their only child. In order to get ready for the flight, the brunette hadn't even had the time to have herself withdrawn from her classes, or to speak with any of the professors. Her silver lining was her best friend Aubrey, who had promised she would help sort everything out in LA for her.

"Is this seat taken?" a deep, English voice came from somewhere over her head, as Cora covered her mouth again to yawn. She glanced up and managed to shake her head, letting out a small giggle as the man took a seat. "I'm so sorry," she apologised.

"Long night?" he queried.

"You might say that," Cora smiled slightly at him as she took another sip of her coffee "You're from England? Which part?"

"Not hard to tell," he drawled "Preston. Just outside of Manchester."

Cora nodded at his words, glancing around the small coffee shop. She had chosen a seat which was particularly close to the monitors so that she could keep an eye on the boarding information for her flight.

The Englishman who had sat down was very tall, Cora found as she surreptitiously glanced at him. He had dark hair which was gelled back away from his face; with one little kiss curl forming across his forehead, and where her own eyes were more emerald, his were deep and far more likened to a shade of jade. His nose was slightly misshapen, clearly it had been broken at least once or twice and he bore two large tattoos, one on each of his biceps. Cora couldn't quite stare at him long enough to figure out what they were but he suited them.

Her eyes were just about to land on him again when she saw him smiling.

"Quite finished?" he quipped, his lips turning up into a smirk. Cora's cheeks flamed, turning a bright shade of red and she ducked her head, taking another sip of her coffee.

"I'm sorry," she shook her head "That was terribly rude. I have this thing about commiting people to my memory," she waved her hand as she talked.

The man just laughed and held out his hand to her "I'm Wade," he told her.

"Cora," she leaned forward to let him grasp her hand in his much larger one "It's nice to meet you."

"The pleasure is all mine," his jade eyes glinted.

_END OF CHAPTER_


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N:**_ Thanks to **ThatGirl54**, **ANP87** and **Kirstein Renee Orton **for reviewing the first chapter. Enjoy XxX

_**Disclaimer:**_ I own all OC'S.

_Chapter Two - Caught In The Burning Glow_

The car screeched, the scent of burning rubber wafting up through Cora's nose as the man she had met only 3 weeks ago drove erratically through the streets of her Chicago neighbourhood. He was headed for the highway, the quickest exit from the city and as he drove, he looked frantically over his shoulder and in the car's mirrors to see if they were being followed. Cora's chest was still heaving from the running and from the effect that the smoke inhalation was having on her, her mind racing with God-awful thoughts.

"Are you going to talk to me?" she growled at the Englishman in the driver's seat. "Tell me who the hell you are?! Tell me what the fuck is going on?!"

"There will be time to answer your questions later," he answered her simply and calmly, giving her a fleeting glance before his eyes were back on the road, concentrating on alluding the people who had been chasing Cora through the streets. The reality of her situation had yet to sink in. Her parents were dead, the only world she had ever known was gone but it hadn't quite computed yet.

The brunette was definitely in shock, Stu could tell just from the quick glance. She was far more interested in finding out what was happening to her as oppose to mourning her parents deaths. The following few days were going to be difficult for her and she was going to have to deal with many a revelation about the only life she had ever known.

* * *

They had been driving for hours, having taken the highway out of the city. Cora had long since lost track of their movements and resigned herself to sitting in the passenger seat of the car, her arms folded across her chest, her head bowed towards the floor of the car. Her thoughts were jumbled and she was unsure of what was going to happen to her. Her parents were gone and she had so many questions on her mind, questions that she needed answers to desperately. The man had been silent for the majority of the trip too, murmuring something under his breath every now and then.

The sun was just rising in the sky when Stu pulled the car to a halt in front of a rather modern looking detached house set in amongst a throng of trees and shrubbery, partially hiding in from view. The building was all clean slate coloured concrete, stainless steel and the doorway was hidden by the ragged branches of a couple of white cedars.

Cora glanced at the building and then back to the man in the car. "Where are we?"

"Somewhere safe," he told her simply. "Let's get inside. Quickly."

Cora glanced nervously over her shoulder as she exited the car, shutting the door behind her. Stu followed her, his long legs taking him two or three strides ahead of her with ease. He headed up the path, checking that the brunette was following him before he approached the entrance. A computerized keypad was hooked on the front of the door to the right and Stu pressed the keys in a rapid succession and the computer made a few bleeping noises before the door clicked open. Pushing it back, Stu lifted his arm and encouraged Cora to step inside which she did so after a few moments hesitation. The door closed behind them and Stu pressed his fingers to a similar keypad on that side of the door, more bleeping noises emitted throughout the house and the sound of several locks clicking into place followed.

Cora looked at her escort, an eyebrow raising. "Are you ready to answer my questions now?"

Stu pursed his lips at his charge. "Perhaps you'd like to clean up first?"

* * *

Cora's reflection stared back at her from the mirror. Her eyes were tired and red rimmed, very faint shadows underlining them. Her once gleaming brunette locks now hung around her shoulders in a halo of russet. Upon having entered the bathroom a few hours before, Cora had found a selection of hair dyes under the sink and a pair of sharp scissors in one of the drawers. It had occurred to the young woman that if someone was chasing her - for reasons unknown to her - that perhaps a change of appearance would help defer attention from her. If these people were as professional as their actions had made them seem then they were bound to have pictures of her on them. She would be able to blend in far easier if she changed her image.

There had been a minimal amount of clothes in the closet of the bedroom that the Englishman had shown her to and so after taking a shower and chopping her hair off, Cora had chosen a pair of tracksuit bottoms and a hoodie to wear.

Leaving the room, she cautiously approached the stairs and made her way back down. She could hear the faint clanging on pots coming from somewhere and she followed the sound, finding herself in a very modern looking kitchen - complete with slate counter-tops and state-of-the-art appliances.

Stu turned around as he heard the shuffling footsteps behind him, his eyes widening when he found himself face-to-face with a now redheaded Cora. He looked her over, lost for words.

"I found the dyes under the sink," she told him quietly. "I thought I would take the liberty. Those people, back at my house," she winced slightly as she remembered what had happened to her. "They surely have pictures of me?"

Stu nodded. "It's nice. You suit red hair," he looked away, busying himself with whatever he was cooking. "I thought you'd fallen asleep. You were very quiet."

Cora nodded to him, shoving her hands into the pockets of the hoodie she wore.

"Will you answer my questions now?"

Stu swallowed thickly, a breath rushing from his lips. "You'd better take a seat," he pointed to the breakfast stools that were pushed slightly under the counter. Cora pulled one out, the feet scraping on the tiled floor and sat down, her eyes finding his with ease. "Ask away. I'll do my best to tell you what you want to know."

Cora bit her bottom lip, chewing on the plump flesh. "You told me your name was Wade," Cora said slowly. "Is that true?"

Stu shook his head. "It wasn't safe for me to tell you my real name. My name is Stuart but you can call me Stu."

"That's really your name?" Cora narrowed her eyes at him, not eager to be tricked twice. She had already been through enough and now she just wanted to know what was happening to her.

"Yes," Stu couldn't help but smirk at her. "That is my name. Next question," he folded his arms across his chest, the sleeves of his shirt tightening around the considerable width of his muscled biceps.

"Who were those people at my house? Those people killed my parents," Cora's voice wobbled.

"I know that they did. And I'm sorry, Cora. I know that that won't mean much to you but it's true. I wish I could have saved them."

"Then why didn't you?! If you knew what was going to happen to them, why didn't you try and help?"

"I couldn't. I couldn't risk blowing my cover. You don't understand," Stu shook his head. "I can't expect you to understand. You've got no idea what's going on."

"Then tell me. Please, I just want to know what's happening to me," Cora begged him. "Who are you?"

Stu sighed, lifting a hand to rub it against his brow. He wanted to protect Cora from the world that her parents had been mixed up in but to keep her safe, he knew he was going to have to tell her the truth. But how much of the truth could he risk disclosing to this young woman without sending her over the edge? He didn't want to blow her life apart anymore than it already had been. In one swoop, she'd lost her parents, her home and everything she thought she knew had been torn away from her.

"I work for the SIS. I've had you under surveillance for months."

"SIS?" Cora mumbled, unsure of what he was talking about.

"Secret Intelligence Service. MI6," he told her carefully, wondering what her reaction would be.

"You're a spy?" Cora asked incredulously "Do spies even exist?" her mind boggled. Her head was buzzing with so many questions that she was finding it hard to process what Stu was telling her.

Stu smiled this time, chuckling softly under his breath. "Clearly we do."

"And my parents?" she asked. "They were spies?"

"Not exactly," Stu grimaced as he leaned forward, his fingers curling around the slate counter-top.

"Not exactly? Either they were or they weren't?"

"Cora," Stu said softly. "Your parents were government-hired assassins."

_END OF CHAPTER_


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N:**_ Thanks to **ThatGirl54**, **Kirstein Renee Orton**, **hyperfaerie** and **xLou26** for reviewing the last chapter. Enjoy XxX

_**Disclaimer:**_ I own all OC's.

_Chapter Three - In The Reign of Fire_

That following day was the most difficult in Cora's life. She had been through so much and still had so many questions that were left unanswered. Stu had done his best to tell her what she needed to know but after she had gotten worked up over her parents being assassins, the Englishman had called time on her inquiries instead dishing her out a plate of food before ordering her to get some sleep. The latter was better said than done of course, considering that every time Cora closed her eyes, images of her parents faces floated to the forefront of her mind, well and truly warding off any sleep she was in store for. It wasn't long after that the tears came - thick, fat and hot - sliding down her cheeks and dripping onto the bedspread that she lay on. Her breaths became ragged as she struggled to inhale between the sobs and at one point she was convinced she heard Stu outside of the room, his heavy footsteps pacing the hall in front of the bedroom he'd allocated her. But as she buried her face in the pillow to try and subside the tears, the steps faded away and all was silent once more.

It was well into the late afternoon when she eventually fell into a fitful sleep, not waking before the following morning around 6 am. Cora dragged her tired limbs from the bed and into a hot shower, watching the remnants of red dye wash down the plughole and into the drain. The white shower was stained crimson and memories of the bullets slicing through her parents formed on her mind. She could see the high velocity blood splatters on the walls of her house and hear the re-loading of the guns as they prepared to shoot her as well. A ragged breath left her lips and she practically leaped from the shower, entangling herself in a white towel before fleeing the bathroom altogether.

Stu was already in the kitchen when Cora descended the stairs, clothed in a clean pair of jeans and a loose white cotton blouse which she had tucked into the waistband of the jeans. Having folded the sleeves up to her elbows, Cora stared down at her shaking hands, willing herself to regain her composure. Her nerves were shot to hell, and rightfully too, considering the experience she had had over the past 48 hours.

"Did you sleep okay?" Stu asked as she timidly stepped into the kitchen, reaching out to grip the back of one of the stools; anything to try and keep her hands still.

"Not so much," Cora confessed honestly. "It was pretty fitful for a while."

"Hmmm," Stu mused. "I heard you crying," he added.

"I am allowed to mourn the death of my mom and dad right?" the now redhead asked, a slight bitter tone to her words.

"Of course you are. I wasn't trying to..." Stu faltered and moved on to change the subject. "I'm going to pop out for a bit. Don't leave the house," he lifted a black leather jacket from the back of another stool and swung it on, flexing his arms.

"Like I have anywhere to go," Cora narrowed her eyes in his direction slightly.

"Look," Stu sighed. "I know you've been through a lot and you're handling it exceptionally well but the last thing I need is your attitude. I saved your arse and I didn't even ask for a thank you. I need you to keep a lid on that anger until we're safe and sound. Is that clear?"

Cora pursed her lips in defiance, turning her eyes away from him.

"I'm not playing games with you, Cora," Stu continued, reaching over to grab her upper arm. "Can you keep a tight reign on it? Yes or no?" his tone was more authoritative than her mom and dad's had ever been.

"Yes," Cora whispered, pushing her tongue around her mouth.

"Good. Now, like I said, don't leave the house. And do not under any circumstances answer that door to anyone. Even me!" he abruptly let go of her arm and Cora took a step back.

"You?" she asked, her eyebrows knitting together. "But surely it's safe enough to answer the door to you?"

Stu shook his head. "I have a key to this house. If I have to knock on that door or ring the bell for any reason then it's bad news. Do you understand?"

Cora nodded. And without another word, Stu swept out of the kitchen and Cora's spine physically rattled when he slammed the front door closed, all of the computerized locks clicking into place. Glancing around the kitchen, Cora's mouth watered and her stomach gave a growl, prompting her to search through the cupboards for some food.

It was at that moment that another thought occurred to her. Despite how much she was grieving for her parents, the truth of the matter was that she would have to continue on without them. She would eat, laugh and sleep. She would have to learn to live without them. But before she would be able to truly come to terms with them dying, she had to unlock the secrets of their past. And find out why these people were chasing her down.

* * *

After making something to eat, Cora decided that an exploration of the house she was in was definitely on the agenda. She started from the top and worked her way down but found that the majority of the rooms were devoid of anything. The room she was in had a simple double bed, built in wardrobes which only housed a few pairs of jeans, some blouses and a few pairs of black and white converse but nothing else at all. She explored the rest of the house aside from two rooms on the upper half which were sealed up with those computerized locks and despite her best efforts to open them, the doors refused to budge, putting a dampener on her spirits.

Making her way back downstairs, Cora was startled as the doorbell rang. The warning that Stu had given her immediately flew into her mind and she remembered him telling her that he had a key, so he had no need to ring the bell. It sounded again and with a deep breath, Cora tiptoed down the rest of the stairs and made her way towards the door as silently as possible. The young woman had begun to breathe quicker with anticipation and fear. She had no clue who was at the other side of the door and quite frankly she didn't want to know. There were people out there trying to kill her and the only thing between her and death was Stu. And without him there to protect her, she was terrified of what was about to happen.

Pressing her hands against the door frame, she gently listened but could hear nothing aside from another incessant round of ringing as the person at the other side pressed the bell once more. Cora leaned back, glancing to the computer screen hooked on the wall. She had no idea how to work the stupid system. Reaching over, her eyes flicked across the touch pad. She reached out and pressed a button and a man's face appeared on the screen. He was young - likely in his late twenties - with short dark hair slicked back over his head and piercing blue eyes. It took a few moments for Cora to realize that he was the man standing outside of the door. He tapped his foot impatiently against the slab pavement outside and reached out to press the bell again, his impatience showing on his face.

Cora stared at his face, trying to memorize everything she could. The fact remained; no one was coming to save her this time. Stu was God only knows where and she needed to deal with the situation at hand. Pressing another button on the screen, Cora jumped when a crackling noise sounded loudly and she could hear the man's breathing. He seemed to have noticed this too for he looked over his shoulder and then back to the computer screen at his side of the door.

"Hello?" he said carefully and slowly, his tones thick and British, much like Stu's. "Is someone there? Miss Baxter, is that you?" he asked.

Curiosity got the better of Cora and she found herself answering him. "Who are you? What do you want?"

"Miss Baxter," he breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm Cody Wells. I'm with MI6. I work with the agent who's with you, Stuart Bennett. Open the door please?"

"I don't know you. What are you doing here?" Cora asked him, looking to the computer screen to try and learn what actions all of the buttons performed.

"I'm here to meet with Stu. We've both been assigned to help you get safely to a rendezvous point. Can you open the door?"

"Show me some identification!" Cora barked at him through the microphone. "I want to see proof of who you are."

The stranger fished into his pocket and pulled out a leather bound wallet, opening it and placing it against the screen so that Cora could see his identification. Worry still gnawed at her gut, even after seeing the proof of who he was and she was truly not comfortable with opening the door. She took a step back, taking in a shaky breath as she debated about what to do. Stu had told her that she was not to open the door under any circumstances, to anyone at all. And yet, here was this person flashing MI6 credentials to her and her mind was wavering towards the idea of letting him in.

It was out of the blue at that moment that her mind was made up for her when the computer started to flash red. Cora's eyes widened as the screen zoomed out from Cody's face and showed 7 different smaller images. Within a few moments, Cora realised that they were cameras surrounding the property. And they showed men with guns - big guns- approaching and surrounding almost every perimeter of the property. With her mouth in her throat, Cora backed away from the door.

"Miss Baxter," Cody spoke very calmly. "Open the door," he let out a sigh.

"Stu will be back shortly. He'll let you in," Cora told him before dashing off and taking the stairs two at a time to the top. Darting into the bedroom where she had slept the night before, Cora retrieved a pair of the black converse from the closet and pulled them on, more than grateful that they were a perfect fit. Scrabbling to the middle of the room, she glanced around herself worriedly. She had nothing left, no possessions and nothing special that she could take with her. Everything had been in the house that these people had burned down and now here she was, running for her life once more.

Dashing from the room, Cora headed for the bathroom where she had dyed her hair the night before. Closing the door behind her, she grabbed the wooden stool which was pushed under the sink and placed it in the centre of the room. Standing on top of it, the young woman reached above her head and unhooked the air vent above her. It gave way after a few tugs and dropped down, swinging back and forth on a hinge. With a deep breath, Cora gripped the edges of the vent and hauled herself up inside the crawl space, reaching down at the last moment to pull the vent up once more.

Her heart was hammering in her chest as she made her way carefully through the air-filtration system of the house. With no windows, Cora knew there had to be a way for the air to be pumped in and out of the house. A loud bang followed by a rumble sounded from below her and Cora stopped crawling until everything went still, silence enveloping the space that she had entered. She began to move again, crawling around corner after corner, passing over another vent grate. Glancing down, she noticed that this one was above the living room. Voices floated up towards her, including the young man who had been at the door.

"Find her!" Cora heard him say. "She's in here somewhere. I want her out of the picture. No more loose ends!"

Cora trembled, her lower lip wobbling and her eyes burning with unshod tears. These were the people who wanted to kill her and they now included an MI6 agent. What the fuck was going on? And how much was Stu really keeping from her?

Taking another deep quiet breath, Cora continued to move through the vents, trying to keep her movements as soft as possible so as not to alert the people with the big guns below her of her whereabouts. She finally reached a large fan, beams of light shining between it's unmoving blades. Cora was thankful for whatever had killed the fan and as she sat back and kicked the blades with her feet, they gave way and fell backwards with a loud rattle. Cora cursed herself upside down but moved towards the opening and crawled through, realizing she was on the roof of the house.

Cora glanced around as she stood up but all she could see was residential areas for miles, neat rows and rows of houses all interspersed with shrubbery and greenery. The quiet engine of a car sounded not too far off and a motorcycle rumbled from the other direction. Suddenly the shrill of bullets tore through the air and Cora jumped and started to run across the roof, jumping over some steel beams that crisscrossed the expanse of the building.

She heard the roar of voices below her and more bullets were fired. Her heart was beating hell-for-leather as she approached the edge of the roof, looking down over the edge. It was the side of the house and below her there was another flat roof - likely the garage - and it was surrounded by trees. Getting on her knees, Cora gripped onto the edge of the roof and dangled herself off the edge, her newly acquired converse scraping the slate concrete panels that made up the house as she worked up the guts to drop down. Hitting the lower down roof, she fell onto her knees, stones cutting into her hands as she braced her fall. The Chicago native didn't have time to dwell on any injuries she had sustained if she wanted to stay alive and so she was on her feet within a few seconds, hopping onto a thick branch of one of the trees.

The rumble of that motorcycle had grown much closer but Cora paid it no more attention as she descended down through the tree, hitting the soft ground beneath it with a dull thump. Crouching down, she could hear the house being ransacked as the people after her searched for her within it. Cora looked around her, trying to come up with a plan. She didn't want to die and she knew that the only thing these people would do was put a bullet through her skull. But how was she supposed to escape a team of well-trained assassins with nothing but the clothes on her body?

A flash of black leather caught her eye from nowhere and she realised it was Stu. He'd come back for her. And he was on the motorcycle that she had been hearing no less. He pulled up across the street, hidden behind some of the trees surrounding another house. He glanced towards the house, his eyes fearful of what was happening. Cora knew that their only option to make it out of there safely was to make a run for it. And as terrified as she was, she wanted to make it out of this alive.

Standing up, she dashed out of the trees, heading straight for Stu's motorcycle. A roar tore through the sky above her as a haze of bullets sprayed around her, coming from the roof behind her. Clearly they had found her and were now trying to complete their mission. Gravel and dirt kicked up all around her, flying in all directions as Cora avoided the bullets sailing through the air. Stu had kick-started the motorcycle and was riding towards her side of the road. She reached him, hopping on the back with ease.

"Go!" she screamed at him over the bullets that were raining down upon them. She grabbed the sides of his jacket, holding onto him as they roared off down the street and out of harms way. It was only a matter of time before those people caught up with them again, that much Cora knew. She was never going to be free of them until she got to the bottom of what was going on.

Stu rode on, twisting and turning through various streets to try and lose the people who were likely chasing them now. It wasn't until they had reached an industrial estate on the outskirts of the city that he stopped, pulling the bike into the abandoned parking lot of a cotton mill. Cora hopped off the bike followed by Stu who turned to see her pacing the ground, her shoes digging into the dirt.

"What's going on?!" she yelled to no one in particular before she looked to him. "What the fuck is going on? What aren't you telling me?!"

_END OF CHAPTER_


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N:**_ Thanks to **ThatGirl54** and **ANP87** for reviewing the last chapter. Enjoy XxX

_**Disclaimer:**_ I own all OC's.

_Chapter Four - This Is Not The Time For Doubts_

Cora stared at Stu with wide eyes, her breathing coming in harsh pants. Adrenaline had her chest heaving up and down, her lips parted as she inhaled deeply. A myriad of emotions flitted across her face; grief, anger, aggression, fear and gratitude, as she waited on Stu answering her.

"Cora, look-"

"No! You have got to tell me what's going on, Stu. I need to know," she waved a hand at him as she paced. "Those people killed my parents. They burnt my house to the ground with me still inside of it. And now they've tried to shoot me with really big guns," she stared at Stu pointedly. "And to top it all off, one of them had MI6 credentials on him!"

"Who?!" Stu practically barked, stalking over to Cora and grabbing her arm. He held her elbow tightly in his big hand, glaring down at the smaller woman. "What was his name?"

"C-Cody Wells," Cora stuttered, looking up at Stu with wide, wondering eyes. "He said he'd been sent to rendezvous with you. You were both supposed to look after me."

Stu sighed, loosening his grip ever so slightly on Cora's arm as he closed his eyes for a few brief moments. "Wells went rogue about 9 months ago. He disappeared off the face of the earth. Now we clearly know why," Stu opened his eyes and looked down at Cora.

"Clearly," she muttered, a hint of sarcasm to her words.

"Look," Stu held her gaze, his mouth forming a thin line. "This isn't the time for you to doubt anything I tell you, Cora. I am the only thing that is standing between you and bullet between those pretty eyes of yours. I've saved your arse twice already and I've not even asked you for a thank you. You have got to trust me. And trust that what I do is for your own safety," his grip tightened around her arm once more as he tried to drum his message into her.

"How am I supposed to trust you?" Cora whispered. "I don't even know who you are."

Stu dragged the tip of his tongue along his lower lip, his green eyes darting around Cora's face. He shook his head, letting out a deep sated sigh.

"We need to move," he told Cora, letting go of her arm. "They'll be heading this way soon. The quicker we're in a safe place, the better," stalking off towards the bike, Stu hooked one long leg over it. Looking back at Cora, he raised his eyebrows at him. "Now, Cora!"

* * *

Cora tightened her arms around Stu, pressing herself closer to him. The roar of the engine was all she could hear as they hurtled along the road. The wind had picked up and they'd been on the road for hours and now Cora could feel a chill settling in her bones. Her newly red hair billowed behind her in the forceful breeze and as the sun went down, the air was filled with a raw bite. The long roads wound on and on and still Stu kept on driving the bike - passing through small towns sporadically without even a hint that they would be stopping soon.

"Where are we?" Cora tried to pull herself close enough for Stu to hear her timid voice over the rumbling engine. A cityscape stretched beyond them in the distance - one that Cora didn't really recognise - but at this point in time, she was willing to stop anywhere as long as it was warm.

"We're nearly there," Stu replied gruffly, removing one hand from the bars of the bike to cover Cora's hands with his own larger one. "You're freezing," he noted and took his foot off the gas, slowly bringing the bike to a stop in a lay-by. Flicking the kickstand on with his foot, Stu told Cora to get off of the bike and followed suit, stretching his long legs out. He stripped the jacket off of his arms, spinning around to face Cora and draping the leather material over her shoulders. "I'm sorry," Stu told her roughly, his voice quite husky. "I didn't realise you'd be so cold."

Cora shrugged, threading her arms into the overly large jacket and reaching down to zip it up. The thin white cotton blouse had done little to protect her from the surrounding elements and as the leather formed a cocoon around her, the goosebumps which had popped up along her flesh began to die down.

"Thanks," Cora tipped her lips up into a makeshift smile. She glanced around her, her eyes coming to rest on the big city up ahead of them. "Which city is that?"

"Indianapolis," Stu told her.

"You know people there?" Cora turned back to him, watching as he stood by the bike and kicked up some dirt from the side of the road.

"I know people in a lot of places," he nodded to her. "Let's go. It's getting late and I'm sure you're hungry and tired," he motioned for Cora to get on the bike again. "You can ride up front. Maybe you won't be as cold," Stu added as Cora straddled the bike. Stu slid on behind her, his long legs framing the sides of hers, his strong chest pressed up against her back as he gripped the bars at the front. Flicking the kickstand up, Stu revved the engine, bringing the motorbike to life. Cora clenched her legs around the bike, feeling a tingle run through her from the feel of the engine beneath her. Snuggling deeper into the jacket, Cora allowed her shoulders to drop as she relaxed and Stu moved the bike off, the two of them heading into the city.

* * *

The engine rumbled loudly as they rode into a leafy neighbourhood. Cora glanced around herself as Stu kept the bike going and they rode down into a cul-de-sac. A house, which Cora could only see the top of sat in front of them, hidden behind a large brick wall which rose out of the ground to shield the property. Stu killed the engine and flicked the kickstand down once more, getting off of the bike. Wrapping his fingers across Cora's arm encased in the leather of his jacket, Stu helped her off of the bike. He walked ahead of her, long strides taking him up to the wooden gates positioned in the centre of the wall with ease. Cora followed him, reaching out with one hand to grab his own hand and the other pressing to his forearm. Stu stopped, turning to look at her but as soon as he saw the fear in her eyes, he laced his fingers through hers.

"You're safe here," Stu tried to reiterate that fact to her.

Shaking her head, Cora told him. "I'm not safe anywhere."

"You are with me. I won't let anything happen to you," the Englishman squeezed her hand and then turned back to the wooden gates. He waved his hand across a sensor and with a jolt, the wooden gates swung open, allowing Stu and Cora to enter. The young woman followed her protector up the paved driveway, looking over her shoulder as the gates swung closed again with a final thud that resonated through her.

Stu led Cora up the long, steep driveway towards the front of the house. The property was something akin to a stately English home. A white marble statue that Cora was unfamiliar with stood on a island of land about 50 feet from the door. The woman on the statue was draped in a long white sheet and looked down upon the house, a small smile turning her lips up. Cora held her breath as Stu headed for the door. The house was surrounded by well maintained grass for as far as Cora could see - not a tree or shrub in sight - the wall running the entire length of the grounds. At either side of the door stood two old fashioned black glass lamps, already lit in the darkness which had crept in.

"Where are we?" Cora whispered to Stu, still gripping his hand for dear life. Stu pressed his finger to his lips, asking Cora to be quiet as they walked around the island of grass that the statue stood on and approached the front door.

The sound of a hammer cocking on a gun had Stu freezing on the spot. A shiver rolled across Cora and she trembled in fear.

"Who are yeh?" Stu allowed a sigh to leave his tense body, his shoulders dropping. He turned around, pulling Cora behind him and shielding her from the person behind them. "Stu? That yeh, fella?"

"Stephen," Stu smiled at his friend. "It's good to see you."

"It's good te see yeh too, mate. In one piece anyway," he put his gun down, flicking the safety on once more. "Yeh were supposed to call before yeh came down here."

"There were complications along the way. Is Haley here?" Stu asked gruffly, his voice tired. Cora gripped his hand tighter as he spoke to the stranger in front of them. He was taller than Stu and had vibrant naturally red hair spiked up around his head and pale silvery blue eyes. His skin was milky white and Cora noted that he wore a pair of dark jeans and a light blue shirt. He held a handgun in one hand and as she watched, he re-holstered it against his back.

"I'm here," another English voice joined the group and Cora glanced behind her to see a brunette looking down from a window on the upper floor. She was dressed all in black and had a rather large gun pressed to her side. Cora had seen enough movies to know that the weapon that this woman held was a sniper rifle.

"Come down," Stu told her. "We'll be in in a minute."

Haley nodded and stepped away from the window and closed it. Cora turned back to look at the man standing in the driveway.

"Ah take it this is Cora?" he asked, looking past Stu to her.

"Yeah," Cora replied. "Yes! I'm Cora," she added a little more firmly.

Stephen smiled at her. "It's nice te meet yeh. Let's get yeh two inside. Ah'm sure yeh're both tired an' hungry. And we've go' a lot te talk about."

_END OF CHAPTER_


	5. Chapter 5

_**A/N:**_ Thanks to **ThatGirl54** and **ANP87** for leaving reviews.

_Chapter Five - Peace Of Mind Is Less Than Never_

The group of three entered the house, Cora still clutching onto Stu's hand. He gave her fingers a reassuring squeeze as Stephen closed the front door behind them and computerized locks similar to those at the house in Greenbay clicked into place. Footsteps echoed throughout the house as someone descended the stairs and a dainty brunette entered the room. Her hair hung in loose waves, her face framed by blunt bangs. Stu let go of Cora's hand and she let out a breath as the warm cocoon around her digits disappeared and Haley approached him, practically throwing herself into his arms.

"I was so worried about you," Cora heard Haley tell Stu. "Don't ever disappear like that again. I don't know what I would do without you."

Stu had his large arms securely wrapped around Haley, squeezing her tightly against him. Her booted feet had left the floor as he hauled her up against him, swinging her from side to side gently. Cora felt like she had been sucker punched in the gut and she took a sharp intake of breath. Before she could stop it, a surge of jealousy ran through her, filling her veins with a liquid fire and she narrowed her eyes at the two who were still embracing. Shaking her head at herself, Cora realised how utterly stupid she was being. Making googly eyes and fawning over the man who had saved her life was a sure fire way to bring her even closer to the brink of death. She needed to keep matters of the heart off the plate until she knew exactly what was going on.

"I'm sorry," Stu's voice was slightly husky with tiredness. "You know that I don't mean to worry you," he added as he placed Haley back on her own two feet. She nodded, reaching up to grab his firm biceps with her hands before she stepped away from him, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye. Her face broke into a watery smile as she turned her gaze upon Cora, moving across the room to stand in front of the redhead, who was staring aimlessly around the room, unsure of what to do with herself.

"You must be Cora," she stuck her hand out. "I'm Haley. It's nice to meet you."

Cora looked between the two standing in front of her and the cogwheels began to turn in her head. The resemblance between Stu and Haley was no mistake. They both wore similar pouts on their lips although Haley's was more prominent and both had the same deep-seated wrinkle in their foreheads as they furrowed their brows at her. They each had that thick, rich brown hair but where Stu's eyes were a vivid emerald green, Haley's were more of a nutty hazel colour with tiny tinctures of green filtered through them. But Cora was definitely not mistaken - the resemblance was in fact uncanny.

Cora must have been staring between them with a look of pure wonder on her face for both raised their eyebrows in a bemused manner until Cora finally realised that she had yet to shake Haley's hand.

"Oh yes, I'm sorry," Cora chuckled nervously, shaking the brunette's hand. "Yes, I'm Cora," she added.

"That's good. It would have been nicer to meet under better circumstances but no matter," Haley shrugged before looking around her. "Where did Ste go?"

"Ah'm in the kitchen," his voice rose through the air a mere few seconds later. "Ah thought ah'd rustle up some grub for Stu and Cora before they get some sleep."

Just the mention of food was enough to make Cora's stomach rumble. She and Stu had been riding on the bike for the better part of the day and not stopping to eat had left Cora feeling rather starving.

"Well, while Ste cooks, how about we get you cleaned up Cora. I'll show you where the shower is and you can borrow some of my clothes," Haley held her arm out, ushering Cora towards the stairs that the brunette had come down a few moments before.

As the hot water surged from the shower head, raining down over Cora, she let out a blissful sigh. The thick waterproof curtain surrounded her and filled her bones with a heat. It felt good to be washing away the grime and dirt that had accumulated on her both from her journey through the crawl space whilst escaping the house and on the bike ride to Indianapolis. Exiting the shower, Cora found a large towel slung across a heated rack and wrapped the fluffy material around her. Haley was waiting outside of the bathroom when Cora opened the door, a smile on her lips.

"Feel better?" Haley beamed.

"Yes," Cora replied, her tone clipped. "Much. Thank you," she added, carefully.

"C'mon, follow me and I'll show you where you're sleeping. I've left some clothes on the bed for you," the English girl was already heading down the hallway and Cora jogged slightly in order to catch up with her. Haley led Cora into a large open plan bedroom with a huge queen-sized bed situated in the centre. The theme of the room was eggplant and cream and every feature incorporated the shades somehow. It was far more luxurious than Cora was used to and she glanced around speechless for a few moments. Heading for the bed, Cora sat down, her head lowered towards the floor. "I'm sure you're very tired but you need to eat too," Haley talked as she walked around the room, heading for the windows first to check that they were locked. Cora turned to look at what the other girl was doing and her eyes widened slightly. Turning to see Cora's expression, Haley laughed a little. "It's okay, you'll be fine here. I'm just a safety girl, you can never be too careful."

Cora nodded silently, her mouth half open.

"Are you...are you a spy? Like Stu?"

"We're not really spies, Cora, but yes, I guess you could say that."

"How do you end up being a spy?" she struggled to find the words. The past few days had been so strange and scary and she found her mind was overloading.

"Is it awful to say that it was the only thing I was ever good at?" Cora raised an eyebrow at Haley, encouraging the other girl to elaborate. Haley smiled and took a seat on the other side of the bed from Cora. "It just came naturally to me," she shrugged. "I mean, the guns and the surveillance and stuff, not the...the killing. That took a little longer."

"Killing? You've actually killed people?" Cora was horrified.

"Of course I have. If I hadn't then it would have been me who died. It's fight-or-flight, Cora. It's a tough world out there. You'll understand soon enough because before all this is over, you'll be faced with a similar situation and you'll have to react."

"I won't be killing anybody," Cora scoffed, shaking her head.

"You can say that now but don't fool yourself. There will come a time when you're faced with making that decision," Cora continued to shake her head at Haley. "Look, I'm not trying to frighten or upset you, I'm trying to prepare you. You've had a rough couple of days but I just want you to know that it's a long way until this is over. This is just the beginning, Cora," Haley stood up. "You should get changed and then come downstairs and eat."

Cora watched Haley leave the room, closing the door behind her. A tight knot formed in her lower stomach, horror filling her gut. What if what Haley said was true? What if there came a time when she was faced with either dying or killing? How would she react? How would she cope with having to make that choice?

Pulling her knees up to her chest, Cora pressed her forehead against her knees and tried not to let anymore tears leak from her eyes.

* * *

There was a loud chatter from the kitchen area as Cora descended the stairs, sheepishly wandering in the direction of the voices. Stu's laugh - deep and burly - reached her ears as she pushed herself to step into the archway of the door, bracing one shoulder against the wooden frame.

The three friends were mid-conversation and laughing about a shared joke. Stephen noticed her first since he was facing in her direction and his smile faded very slightly.

"Cora, we thought yeh'd fallen asleep, lass," he stood from the stool he sat on, turning towards the cooker where he'd been making food for them. Stu looked over his shoulder at her, his eyes looking her up and down. A heat formed over Cora and she blushed slightly. Haley had loaned her a pair of fleecy tracksuit pants and a black hoodie. Her russet locks were now pulled back into a messy ponytail, still damp from her shower.

"Come and eat, Cora," Haley told her, her voice tinged with sympathy.

"Yeh must be hungry, darlin'," Stephen added, turning around with a plate in his hands - piled high with chilli-con-carne resting on a bed of fluffy white basmati rice. Cora took a step forward but faltered when she saw the plate.

"I-I don't eat meat," she told Stephen. "I'm a vegetarian," Cora added, absentmindedly playing with the cuffs of the hoodie she wore.

"Oh," he looked around at their other companions before placing the plate back down on the counter. Rubbing his hands together, Stephen met Cora's eyes once more. "Right then, what will yeh eat and ah'll make yeh somethin' else?"

"No! Oh I-I don't want to cause any trouble. I'll...I'll just have the rice if you take the chilli off of it."

"Just a plate of rice?" Cora looked to Stu when he spoke. "That won't be enough," he proceeded to scoop a large mouthful of his chilli into his mouth.

After directing a glare at Stu, Cora turned back to Stephen. "Rice will be perfect, thank you."

"Are yeh sure?"

"Absolutely. I have a small appetite anyway," she took a seat on the spare stool next to Stu. Haley directed another small smile at her but Cora ignored Stu's sister. She wasn't trying to be rude or prissy but what Haley had said to her in the bedroom was still bugging it her. It had struck a nerve. And Cora was just having a really hard time dealing with all of the stuff that had happened over the past few days.

Her food was placed in front of her - a brand new plate of fluffy rice now minus the chilli-con-carne. Scooping a forkful of it into her mouth, Cora sat in silence and ate her food, trying to clear her mind of the nightmare that she was convinced she was part of.

_END OF CHAPTER_


	6. Chapter 6

_**A/N:**_ Thanks to **lilywhite25**, **Kirstein Renee Orton**, **AngelsDestiny22** and **ThatGirl54** for leaving review.

_Chapter Six - These Wounds Won't Seem To Heal_

With a book open in her lap, Cora stared out of the windows of the living room onto the vast grassy expanse within the grounds. The sun was shining and as she touched the pane of glass she could feel the gentle warmth of the sun's rays heating her fingertips. After six weeks here she missed being outdoors, she missed the fresh air and she missed her parents. No matter what she did to distract herself, it was always niggling at the back of her mind.

"Cora!" she jumped when she heard Haley's distinct English tones. "Stu's looking for you," the brunette popped her head around the door frame of the living room, intruding on Cora's hideout.

"Why?" Cora asked as she closed her book, fingers scraping the thick pages.

Haley shrugged. "He just asked that I come and get you. C'mon, you better not keep him waiting," she urged Cora to follow her.

With a sigh, the redhead placed her book down on the window seat she had occupied and then crossed the room, following Haley out of the door and across the foyer towards a door that was nestled away under the stairs that led to the top section of the house. Haley flung the door open and started down the stairs, Cora following closely behind her.

"He's in there," Haley told her, pointing to one of the many doors that Cora could now see. She looked to Haley and the girl smiled before disappearing through another one of the doors. Cora looked to the door and swallowed thickly. Nervous was not the word!

Within two steps she had reached the door and flung it open, ducking immediately as a neon yellow blur soared towards her head. It hit the wall behind her with a loud thud and dropped to the floor, rolling across the stone and stopping near her foot.

"Are you fucking crazy?!" she fumed at Stu, who was in the room. She glanced between him and the wall where the neon globe had struck it. Within the room, Cora noted that there were thick mats beneath Stu's feet and it looked like this was some sort of sparring area - perhaps part of a gym. "You could have killed me!"

"I could have," he told her calmly. "But I didn't. Good reflexes though," he beckoned her closer with a wave of his hand.

Cora stooped down and scooped up what she could now see was a tennis ball.

"Looks like I'll need them being around you. What the hell do you want?!" Cora placed her hands on her hips, the tennis ball still held between her fingers.

"I'm going to teach you how to protect yourself," he told her.

Cora stared back at him in disbelief. "You're going to teach me how to protect myself? Against who?"

"Against the people who are trying to kill you!" he raised his voice. "You can't really believe that you're going to just be able to disappear and live a normal life somewhere else. You're going to have to face these people, Cora! Find out why they killed your parents and why they're trying to kill you."

"I don't want to face them! I just want this all to be some stupid, horrible nightmare. I want to wake up and for all this to be over."

"I'm afraid that's not going to happen, princess," Stu tutted as he crossed the room towards her and took the tennis ball out of her hand. "You're going to have to learn to protect yourself because I'm not always going to be there to hold your hand and lead the way," he looked down at her - green on green. "Now the people who are after you aren't going to be throwing tennis balls at your head, Cora," Stu walked back into the room, his shoulders tense. "They have been and will continue to shoot bullets at you," he glanced across his shoulder at her. "They want you dead. And you're going to have to learn to use a gun.

Cora was utterly speechless as she moved into the room after Stu. She was trying to allow everything he was saying to sink in. She knew it was true - the people after her would never stop coming until she got to the bottom of why they wanted her so badly. But the things he was talking about were part of his world and not hers.

"I've no need to learn to fight or to shoot a gun," Cora fobbed him off.

Stu swiveled, looking to her.

"You realise that you don't have a choice right? These people are trained killers, Cora. They've been taught how to shoot and how to fight and how to kill. You won't stand a chance against them if you don't learn how to protect yourself."

"This is your world!" Cora cried. "I have no part in it. You shoot people and you kill people. You all do! And you expect me to come to terms with having to do it?"

Stu tutted, rolling his eyes. "I expect you to be adult about it. You can't pinch yourself so you wake up. This isn't some horrible dream and your parents are still alive. They're dead. They're never coming back and the sooner you accept that the better!"

In a sheer burst of anger, Cora threw the tennis ball with as much force as she could muster and it skimmed along the top of Stu's head, slightly mussing his hair before it thudded against the wall behind him.

"Fuck you!" Cora snapped. "You don't know anything about what's happened to me. You don't know what it's like so stop acting all high and fucking mighty," she stormed from the room, slamming the door behind her and ignoring his endless calls of her name. There was no way she was putting up with that bullshit from him.

"Cora!" the redhead stopped short when another voice came from behind her as she rounded the door frame at the top of the stairs. "Stu's just tryin' to help yeh, darlin'."

"How would you know anything about helping me?" Cora turned to face him, fury in her eyes. "None of you know anything about helping people. You're all trained killers for a living. You take away lives!" Cora stressed. "And yet you're all maintaining that you're trying to help me! Why? What's so special about me? What did I do that means you want to help me?!" she cried, two tears trailing down her cheeks. "Six weeks ago my life was normal. Everything was normal. I had my life, I had my friends, I had my parents!"

"Cora, yer whole life was a lie!" Stephen insisted. "You may think that you had yer parents and yer life and yer friends but you never really had any of that. Yer own parents were trained killers just like us. Do you think for one minute that they didn't put elements in place to protect yeh?"

Cora's eyebrows drew together, confusion settling in. "What are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb, lass. You know fine well that yer parents would have protected you. They loved yeh. They didn't spend their whole lives hidin' you only te have someone come along and mess all tha' up. Yer whole life was controlled by them without you knowin'."

"You're right. They did spend their whole lives protecting me and look where that got me. They're dead and I'm holed up with a bunch of strangers who could put a bullet in my head as soon as look at me!"

"We'd never hurt yeh, sweetheart," Stephen told her.

"And how do I know that?" Cora sobbed. "I don't even know who any of you are and you expect me to just trust all of you. The list of things I've been through in the past six weeks is just crazy. My life is on a downward spiral and I don't know where it's going to stop. So you'll have to excuse me if I'm not the most trusting person in the world right now," she turned on her heel and attempted to walk away.

"Yeh're goin' to have to trust us, lass. We're all yeh've got!"

_**END OF CHAPTER**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**A/N:**_ Thanks to **ThatGirl54** and **Mizfit-727** for leaving reviews. Enjoy XxX

_Chapter Seven -_ _In The Flash Of A Blade_

A floorboard creaked.

Cora's eyes flew open as a hand covered her mouth. She attempted a scream but knew it was futile. Her body quivered until a second hand touched her hair and she drew her eyes to the face above her, finding jade eyes staring back at her. The pupils of Stu's eyes were dilated with the adrenaline that was clearly coursing through his body. Although dark, Cora could make out that his face had lost a portion of the colour it normally held and his skin was clammy. He removed his hand from her mouth but placed one strong index finger over her lips.

"Ssh," he told her. Cora breathed harshly against his finger, her neck aching from the arched angle she was holding it at. "They're here," he told her, his voice a soft whisper in the heavy silence of the room.

"What?" Cora furiously whispered back at him, fear welling in her gut. "Who is here?" she asked even though she already knew the answer.

Stu drew her a look that had her shrinking back into the bed covers. He was crouched over her and it did not give either of them much room to move.

"We have to get you out of here," he told her. "But we need to be discreet about it," he added as he guided the two of them to the floor. Cora was still wearing her sleepwear - a pair of loose cotton shorts and a white wife-beater. Stu moved across the floor, graceful for a man of his stature and encouraged Cora to follow him. With trembling legs she scrabbled across the floor as quietly as she could until they reached the door to her room, slipping out into the hall. Once there, Stu returned to his full height, helping Cora up as well. Their backs were pressed tightly to the walls, keeping out of the line of sight should anyone be able to see inside.

"How do you know that they're here? How do you know that it's them?" Cora demanded in hushed tones.

"We have surveillance, Cora," Stu replied as if her questions were the silliest thing he had ever heard. "Surely you don't think that that wall is the only thing protecting this property?" he looked to her. "This place is covered in security cameras from top to bottom. There are so many ways to trip alarms around here. Trust me when I say that we know exactly who is outside."

More fear collected in the pit of Cora's stomach. If these people were able to bypass such a high-tech security system, then what chance did she stand against them? In this world, she was a child trying to play with the big boys. And sooner or later she was going to get knocked on her ass.

Feeling Stu's hand wrap around her own, Cora shuddered and gripped his fingers. He started to lead the way through the house, keeping them secluded in the shadows and away from any visible light as they made their way down deeper into the property. They took the stairs that ran down to the lower level and passed the room where Stu had thrown the tennis ball at Cora's head three days previously. They continued on and went through another door that the young woman had failed to see before.

Stu shut the door tightly behind them and Cora turned to see that Haley and Stephen were already inside the room. They were loading bullets into several magazines for two very large looking guns.

"Haley," Stu called on his sister. "Can you get Cora something to wear, please?" he stepped up to the table where she was and took the magazines from her, taking over the loading of the bullets. Haley simply nodded at her brother and then held an arm out to Cora, silently asking the redhead to follow her. Cora did as she was told and followed Haley to a trunk where the brunette dug out some blue jeans and a powder blue loose fitting blouse. She handed them to Cora along with a black hooded leather jacket and a pair of black knee-high flat boots.

"You can change over here," Haley pointed to some boxes that were stacked up against the wall. "Be quick," she told Cora.

Cora nodded silently and moved over to stand behind some of the boxes. She quickly divested herself of her sleepwear and then pulled on the jeans - which were a rather snug fit - followed by the powder blue blouse and then the leather jacket. Her feet easily slid into the boots and she pulled them up over her jeans.

Haley led Cora back over to the group where the brunette picked up another gun and started loading bullets into it.

"You knew this would happen didn't you?" Cora found her voice, her eyes fixing on Stu. "You knew that they were coming after me again!"

Stu and Stephen, who were in the midst of a quiet chatter between the two of them, both looked to her. Stephen's face became whiter than normal as the colour drained from his face and he pressed his lips into a thin line. Cora's green eyes moved to Stu as she waited on an answer.

"Now is not the time to dwell on pointless thoughts, Cora," he told her.

"Now is perfect time to dwell!" Cora retorted, angrily slamming her hand down against the metal table that they had gathered around. "This is my life! This isn't some stupid game that you are playing. I want to know."

Stu narrowed his eyes slightly, the only movement he made. One strong hand stayed fixed around the gun and the other held a fistful of gold bullets.

"Yes I knew. Why do you think that I wanted to train you? I wanted you to be able to protect yourself."

"Three days is not enough to train somebody, Stu," Cora hissed.

"Well, I didn't know they were going to show up here now, did I?" his sarcastic reply came. "If you hadn't have been such a brat about the tennis ball then we wouldn't be in this situation."

"You threw it at my head!" she cried out, eyes wide with anger as fury bubbled in her veins. "You almost killed me. Had you warned me then maybe things would be different!"

"You don't get warnings in this world, Cora! That much you can see from what is going on around you right now. You need to be ready to fight. You need to be ready to run and you need to be ready to protect yourself at whatever cost. There are no second chances. There are no do-overs. You don't get to beg for your life. These people want to kill you. They will kill you without a second thought. What is it going to take for you to understand that?!"

Cora bit down on her tongue as she stared at him and he stared back. Neither blinked and neither moved. The tension between them was palpable. Cora knew that she had this man to thank for saving her life. But he was just too damn annoying that she didn't know how to say the words. She didn't know how to be grateful to him for everything he had done for her.

Alarms sounded around them, signalling that something was going on above their heads.

"We need teh leave," Stephen issued the order. "Now!" he barked. He and Haley started moving but Stu and Cora continued to stare at each other.

Haley and Stephen slipped the straps of the large guns over their backs, carrying one each. They also strapped two handguns to their belts each and scooped up a backpack each from the floor.

"You guys, we can deal with this later. Move it!" Haley warned the two of them.

"Are you ready to trust me?" Stu asked Cora, his dark eyebrows raising.

"Yes," Cora's voice was husky and rough. "Let's go," she moved to his side. Stu hooked his own gun over his shoulder and then swung on a black leather jacket over the top. He hooked two handguns into his belt, the bodies of them snug against his back and hidden beneath his t-shirt. Picking up a backpack he signaled for Cora to turn around. She did so and Stu placed the straps across her shoulder.

"I won't let them hurt you," Stu whispered against her hair, his hands firm on her shoulders.

"I know you won't," Cora replied. Stu took her hand and then they were moving towards Haley and Stephen who had spent the previous few minutes clearing the boxes away from the wall. Behind the boxes much to Cora's surprise was another door. There was a small keypad to the right hand side of the door and she watched as Stephen punched in a code and the door unlocked. He shoved it open and stepped through, followed by Haley and then herself with Stu at the tail end.

* * *

The door closed behind them, plunging the group of four into virtual darkness. Cora's breathing became heavier as her heart raced quicker. Without her sight, she was beginning to panic. Unsure of where she was going, she tripped over tiny stones that weren't visible to her. Stu placed a hand on her shoulder and she felt herself visibly relax. He guided her from behind, knowing the route of the tunnel like the back of his hand. Soon light began to filter into their dark oblivion from above. Cora looked up with curious eyes and she managed to make out the silhouettes of Stephen and Haley climbing a step ladder. Light pooled into the tunnel as Stephen lifted a hatch and after checking around him, he scrabbled up, reaching down to then help Haley out. As Stu's sister righted herself, Stephen gripped Cora's hand and hauled her out of the tunnel and pulled her to her feet. Stu followed behind her and then shut the hatch, quickly disguising it with dirt and muddy grass from the surrounding area.

He stood to his full height, towering over his younger sister and Haley. He wiped his palms against his jeans, smearing his thighs with mud. Stephen checked around them to make sure nobody was near.

"You and Haley need to get out of here," Stu told his friend. "Make sure you stay safe," he pulled Haley to him and gave her a hug, smoothing her hair back before he bumped fists with Stephen. "Look after her, man," he told Stephen to which the Irishman nodded firmly.

"Yeh know ah'll no' let anything happen to her," Stephen told his friend.

Cora watched the exchange, bewildered at what was going on. She had assumed that they were all going together. She gripped the straps of the backpack she held, her palms clammy from the rush of adrenaline that had soared through her body during their escape from the house.

"Stay safe, Cora," Haley told her. "Trust Stu, no matter else what you do," she kept her voice slightly lower as she starkly warned the redhead. Nodding, Cora watched Stephen and Haley disappear in one direction, vanishing into the trees.

"We need to go this way," Stu indicated to the opposite direction. "Keep as quiet as you can."

Stu placed his hand on Cora's shoulder to guide her out in front of him. It was always easier to protect someone when they were in front of him because then he could watch their back at all times too. They made their way through the shrubs and trees, heading off in the other direction from Stephen and Haley. Gunshots could be heard in the background, presumably coming from the house which they had left. Twigs snapped beneath their feet as they tried to creep through the brush and disappear unnoticed.

A cracking sound came from their left and the next thing Cora knew, Stu had been tackled to the ground. Cora let out a gasp and spun on her heel to see Stu and another man rolling about on the grass, punches being delivered from each side. An arm circled Cora's throat and she let out a low scream as she felt the sharp blade of a hunting knife against her throat.

"Thought you could get away, did you?" a familiar English accent entered her ears. Cody Wells was now holding her hostage and he could end her life with a simple flick of his wrist. "Your boyfriend can't save you now, sweetheart," he hissed in her ear, pointing to Stu who was still busy with the other brute about 15 feet from where she and Cody stood. Even if he could deal with the man who had tackled him, he would never make it to Cora in time to save her.

"Why do you keep coming after me?" Cora gripped Cody's arm with her hands, her nails digging in slightly. He dragged her backwards, her flat boots digging in against the damp twigs and grass. "Why won't you leave me alone?" she struggled against him, watching as the distance between herself and Stu continued to grow.

"Simple, sweetheart," Cody breathed in her ear. "It's business. You're part of a bigger picture, something even you probably can't comprehend. But I'm just doing my job. And I really don't like to fail," he started to laugh. The tip of the blade dug deeper into her throat and Cora gasped.

A memory flooded the forefront of her mind. Her father's face floated in front of her eyes. He was talking to her, encouraging her, teaching her. Without thinking twice, Cora stomped on Cody's foot. His growl reached her ears quickly before she delivered a swift elbow to his solar plexus. He let her go and doubled over, giving Cora enough time to spin around to face him. A well placed kick knocked the knife into the trees and gave Cora the upper hand. He climbed back to his feet, staring her down with a murderous look in his eyes.

"Bitch!" he cursed her. "I should have killed you when I had the chance," he spat on the ground disgustedly. He tried to stand upright but he was still winded from the blow he'd taken to the stomach. Cora was too quick for him and she swung her leg into the air, her heel making perfect contact with his jaw and sending him tumbling to the ground. He crumbled to the floor with a thud and Cora fell to her knees next to him, checking to make sure that he was unconscious.

Footsteps came from behind her and her hand quickly unstrapped a gun from a holder on Cody's side and she swung around on her knees, finding herself with the gun pointed at Stu. He stopped walking, holding his hands in the air.

He licked his lips and attempted to speak but he wasn't sure what to say. He faltered.

He took another slow step forward. Cora closed her eyes and squeezed the trigger.

_**END OF CHAPTER**_


End file.
